AggieYell Mailbag

It’s time for this week’s AggieYell Mailbag! We’ve got a great bunch of questions this time around, so let’s get to it.

Q: Reading your LSU post is so eye opening. It’s like starting over every Year for some teams.

do you see it settling down. Or are we permanently in the world of millionaire softball pitchers and complete roster replacements. (Richard23)

A: I think there are two possibilities, one more likely that the other. The first possibility is that the folks who are spending these exorbitant amounts of money to fund these deals will come to the realization they’re not getting a return on their investment or the federal government passes legislation regulating NIL. I think the first’s more likely than the second.

Q: There is gaining momentum for P4 conferences to modify their tiebreakers to include highest ranked team instead of opponent winning percentage. This is because of the Duke situation that happened in the ACC last year. Personally, I’m not a fan of introducing human rankings in a tiebreaker scenario, but what are your thoughts? Do you think all the power conferences will adopt it? (RoosterTAMU)

A: Right now, the tiebreakers suck. The idea that A&M got knocked out of the SEC championship game last year with a single loss when nobody had a perfect conference record irked me because the explanation sounded like “and stuff.”

Q: Is Earley on the hot seat or will he get a third year ?

A: Let’s see how the second year goes before we discuss the third. So I guess that’s one way of saying he’s on the hot seat.

what is the next facility upgrade on the horizon?

After the baseball upgrades are done, it has to be Reed.

biggest concerns with the football team before spring training? (BC93)

Offensive line.

Q: What’s up with the Spring Game? (SubmarineAg)

A: Good question. I’m going to try to get some clarity on that this weekend.

Q: How much do coaches typically have to pay (%) to get out of a contract early? And has A&M added in additional penalties if you leave for certain schools or within the SEC (thinking of a certain dbag a year or two ago)? Perhaps additional penalties based on the number of lies you tell on the way out. (Username Has Already Been Taken)

A: If they added they lying penalty, a coach in Austin and one in College Park would be suing to save their incomes. As for the buyout numbers, they vary from one contract to another. One of the reasons the Buzz Williams deal was so duplicitous was he and Maryland waited until the buyout dropped to $1 million on April 1 to hire him. The deal was done and everyone knew it, but they still got cute with it. 

Q: Does NIL money affect (+/-) the benefits given to athletes on scholarship (I.e. room, board & education)? (Mckd75)

A: Nope.

Q: How does NIL affect coaching staff morale, considering that, in a number of cases, these star players are making more than their coaches? (3rd Gen Ag)

A: I’m not sure, but I think we’re going to find out in the next few years.

Q: 1. Tech’s DL Coach and Brewster’s lead recruiter is moving to LA/USC w/Gary Patterson as the new DC. He played for Patterson and coached the DL at TCU under him. What does Elko, TJE, and ERob do differently if anything?

A: Zarnell Fitch teaches a more aggressive style. He’ll let his guys freelance if they need to, but he wants them pushing up the field as much as possible. Elko obviously wants negative plays too, but he and the assistants want to remain within the scheme more. Fitch wants his guys to hit a gap; TEJ and E-Rob want their guys in the interior to fill them first.

2. Will the entire staff make a sooner than later trip to see Brewster?

Can’t right now. We’re in a quiet period, which means Brewster can come see the staff, but they can’t go see him.

3. Could A&M end up with the best DL recruiting in one class ever??

I think it’s more likely they end up with the best OL recruiting class ever, but it’s still pretty early.

4. You may have answered this previously, but entertain me. What does Earley have to achieve this year to stay?

Win a lot. I’m not talking about squeaking into the field of 64 and getting bounced in the first round.

5. How’s Arie?? (Tsip despiser)

Not so hot. She’s been having some new issues with her right arm lately, which is just one more thing after another. It’s rough.

Q: FB games you’re really looking forward to and why? 

A: This is admittedly a copout, but I’m really just looking forward to any football at this point.

How’s AzState looking? (Elicrow)

I haven’t given them a real close look, but they really got pummeled in the portal. They lost a lot of their best players, so they may be a wounded animal coming in to Kyle Field.

Q: As it stands, give me a grade on the current Texas A&M coaching staff. I feel like there are so many unknowns on this staff, I’m curious to see what you think about it (Elkofricks)

A: There are a lot of unknowns, so it’s tough to really grade a lot of them. Offensively, I can give RB coach Trooper Taylor an A. He had a lot of guys ready to contribute last season and he’s an excellent recruiter. OL coach Adam Cushing also gets an A. This is a multi-year grade, because that same bunch of players was a train wreck under Steve Addazio. On the defensive side, I think we can give the combo of TJE and E-Rob an A because we know them. I will admit to being biased because Tony Jerod-Eddie is a friend and has been for years, but I think he’s on the coaching fast track. I’ll give Bryant Gross-Armiento and Ish Aristide a B+, because they did a good job turning around the secondary and they can both recruit. Reggie Hemphill gets a B with the safeties. It’s impossible to really grade him or Holmon Wiggins in their coordinator roles yet.

The veterans they have are very good. There’s reason to think the rest of the new hires should be good because they have track records, but that’s only speculation until they do it.

Q: European or African? (Reckless75)

A: Are we discussing airspeed velocities of unladen swallows yet again?

Q: 1. Without any info, vibes about our TE room?

A: Cautious optimism, but I have my questions. I like Houston Thomas and Richie Anderson, but the difference maker between it being a good group and an outstanding one remains a player that I’ve advocated for since before he committed — Kiotti Armstrong. If he’s prepared to play SEC football, he could be dynamic. I’m worried about the freshmen being ready, but if things work they way they should, the freshmen won’t be needed.

2. With Bryce back at nickel and the addition of Byard, I think we see even more blitzing from the secondary, do you agree?

I do.

3. Any other hires pending? (Me_JustAvgIllini)

Not that I know of.

Q: how do you feel about Elko replacing the majority of the staff that left with internal hires? (Kingcypher2)

A: He trusts his guys and believes they know what he wants and how he wants it done. We’ll see if that trust is repaid.

Q: What took so long for the cb coach hire?

A: I think they did their due diligence and wanted to see if they could find someone who knocked their socks off. They didn’t, or couldn’t make a deal, so they were perfectly fine turning to BGA.

Thoughts on preseason baseball team rankings (QuickDrawMcGraw77)

I’d have it up on the bulletin board. It should piss the entire team off.

Q: Preseason feel on this team compared to past years? Which previous team do you feel it compares to? (BVOSUX)

A: Too early to say. Let’s get into spring ball first.

Q: Do you expect us to be in the playoffs again next year? (Hogtide)

A: Yes.

Q: If you could put one Aggie football player between 2000-2009 on the 2026 roster who would it be and why (dP47)

A: Von Miller, for obvious reasons. He’s one of a very small number of players I’ve seen control a game while playing on defense.